Apparatus for cutting ice



April 13,` 1943. w; 'Q PFEIL .2,316,282

APEPARATUS FOR CUTTING ICE Filyed sept. 15, 1940 5 sheets-sheet 1 y' v@f7/1 76 I HQ60 67 A 'I L67 v gygmp n 57 l A pil 13, 194:3.A w. c. PFEIL2,316,282

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING ICE Filed Sept; 13, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April13, 1943.

W. c. PFr-:IL 2,316,282

APPARATUS'FOR CUTTING ICE Filed Sept. l5, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 ph! J9April 13, 1943. (w. c. PFEIL 2,316,282

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING ICE Filed sept. 15, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April13, 1943. w. L PFEIL 2,316,282

APPARATUS FOR UTTING 10E F11ed sept. 13,1940 1' -5 sheets-sheet 5 vg.-Mfg Patented Apr. 13, 1943 airain UNlTED STATES PATENTE QFICE APPARATUSron cU'r'rrNo ica William Carl Pfeil, Chicago, El. Application september1s, ieiaserial No. 356,615

(ci. cfa-n2) 16 Claims.

vand commercial machine capable of cutting large quantities of ice intosmall cylindrical pieces of service size with minimum Waste.

Machines for cubing ice are Well known. A

vfdd/machine of this type is disclosed and claimed in my prior PatentNo. 2,165,573, granted July 11, 1939. In this machine, a cake or blockof ice is first slabbed and then subjected to a second cutting operationto cause the slabs to be cut into cubes. The cutting elements areadapted to be heated preferably by steam or hot water. This operation israpid and economical. There is a demand, however, for cylindrically cutpieces of ice in lieu of cubes. Numerous attempts have bene made toprovide ice in small cylindrical pieces. They better t in water orbeverage glasses, make a heater appearance and are in demand if they canbe produced at reasonable cost. Freezing trays have been successful onlyto the extent that cylindrical pieces can be produced. Labor and timeused in freezing the ice in trays and then removing the same make theuse of trays expensive and impractical. Moreover, the production isextremely limited and cannot meet the requirements of even the smallestuser. The present invention is directed to cutting ice in cylindricallyshaped pieces. Due to the successful and efcient operation of my earliermachine for cubing ice, certain features thereof are used herein inconnection with cutting the ice into cylindrical pieces. Certain new anduseful improvements are also employed that assure a uniform cuttingoperation and a perfectly shaped cylindrical product.

An object of the invention resides therefore in the provision of an icecutting machine adapted to out large blocks of ice into cylindricalpieces of service size by a simple and eiiicient form of apparatusemploying cutting grids adapted iirst to slab the ice and then cut thesame into cylindrical pieces with minimum Waste.

A further object of the invention resides in an improved form o cuttinggrid adapted to be so designed that a heating medium will now throughthe cutting elements in a manner permitting a block of ice to be readilyand rapidly out into lcylindrical pieces.

areas adapted to produce pieces of icc of cylindrical shape, a furtherfeature residing in the arrangement of the cutting element so that a cutof no greater size than the Width of the cutting element will be made. Y

A still further object of the inventionis to provide an improvedconstruction of grid adapted to removably mount and carry these cuttingunits so that not only may the grid be readily removable but also thecutting units to permit repair or replacement thereof in minimum time.

A still further object of the inventionis to provide an improvedconstruction of cutting element whereby the same may be for-med in unitshaving cutting edges dening circular cutting areas and may be providedwith means that guide the pieces as they are being cut to assureuniformly shaped cylindrical pieces and thereby prevent waste resultingfrom irregular cutting.

A still further objectY of the invention is to provide in a machinehaving a slabbing grid, as well as a second grid that cuts the slabsinto smaller pieces of iinal size, a conveyor or like means capable ofembracing the block of ice as it is being cut and moved through theslabbing grid whereby to prevent the slabs from separating, as theresult of the slippery condition produced from melting the ice to effectthe cutting operation, and to therebyplace an uneven strain upon the endof the cube that is still uncut and being fed to the slabbing grid,which strain is found to crack and split the cake before the cuttingoperation can be completed.

A st'ill further object of the invention is to provide, in a machineemploying two grids, means for providing a compact arrangement of partsand for preventing the ice after being slabbed by the rst grid frompassing through the second grid until a device, which in the preferredform may be a tray, is removed, this device also permitting minimumspacing of the grids to secure said compactness of parts withoutexperiencing a tendency of the forward end of the cake being cut to dropupon and pass through the second grid before the cake has beencompletely cut by the iirst grid. i

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detail description when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of machine embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a piece of ice cut by this machine;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a grid embodying the cutting elementsadapted to cut the piece f ice shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the cutting units employedin the grid shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side View of the cutting unit shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the same;

Fig. 'l is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating another form ofunit;

Fig. 8 is a side plan view of the same;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 9 9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIl--ID of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view taken along line II--II of Fig. 3;

Fig. 12 is a similar view taken along line I2-l 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 13 is likewise a similar view but taken along line l3-I3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 14 is a top plan View of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line I5-I5 of Fig.14;

Fig. 16 is a detail View of a conveyor for transferring the ice slabsfrom the rst grid to the second grid; i

Fig. 17 is an enlarged sectional detail view illustrating a track androller mechanism for this conveyor;

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another form of machine embodying theinvention;

Fig. 19 is a top plan view of the same with parts being broken away;

Fig. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view with portions, omitted, takenalong line 2li-20 of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is an enlarged front elevation of the rst cutting or slabbinggrid, the construction of the same being substantially the same in bothforms of the machine herein illustrated. except for the fluidconnections which are, however, the same in principle, the fluidconnections shown in this view being substantially those employed in the-form of the machine illustrated in Figs. 18 to 20, inclusive;

Fig. 22 is a side view of this first cutting grid;

Fig. 23 is a detail view of the removable tray employed in the formVshown in Figs. 18 to 20, inclusive, aportion thereof being broken away;and

Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 24,-24 of Fig. V23.

Although there are illustrated substantially two sets or grids ofcutting elements in the machines illustrated in the drawings foreiecting two cuttingoperations. one for rst slicing a cake of icesubstantially in horizontal slabs and the other for cutting the slabsinto cylindrical pieces, which, 'for the purpose of this disclosure,might be called cylindrical cubes. it will be understood that theshowing is merely illustrative of a preferred arrangement of parts thatmake up a very efficient form of ice cutting machine. In so far ascertain features of the invention are concerned. the grids may bediierently arranged to eifect different cutting operations. or one maybe eliminated without departing from certain features of the invention.

As illustrated in the drawings, any suitable frame or housing comprisinga base may be used to support a table I that slopes slightly to the rearand supports a track adapted to guide a cake of ice as it is fed to themachine at the forward end. This track may comprise opposed upstandingribs 2 and 3 suitably provided upon table I. Also, a number of smallerupstanding ribs 4 may be provided upon table I upon which the ice willrest and move rearwardly toward a plurality of horizontallyfdisposedcutting elements 5 mounted upon a frame member E that may be suitablyenclosed about its sides by a hood 1. Cutting elements 5 and frame 6constitute a grid designated broadly as A for effecting the i'lrstcutting operation. An extension platform 8 may be suitably supportedupon the machine at the forward end. The weight of the ice after movedfrom extension platform 8 upon ribs 4 between track members 2 and 3tends to force the cake into cutting elements 5 so as to allow thesecutting elements to perform their work rapidly of slicing the cake intohorizontal slabs.

The frame of the machine described above as the base used to supporttable l may be of any desirable design and construction. It may includebody 9 formed of any suitable material having the proper strength. Thetop of body 9 includes a top plate I cut as a U to receive table I atthe forward end adjacent platform 8. Forward end of table I may restupon a flange II bent over along the upper edge of the front face ofbody 9 and upon lateral ears I2 extending inwardly a short distance fromthe vertical sides of frame 6 of grid A (see Fig. 15) The rearward endof table I may then rest upon an angle member I3 disposed crosswise ofthe machine and bolted to a frame of a second cutting grid designatedbroadly as B.

An opening I4 is provided in top plate I0 at the rear of table I byreason of the fact that table I does not cover the entire area of theinner cutaway portion of top plate I 0, as illustrated in Figs. 14 and15. Table I terminates at cross bar I3. A frame I5 adapted to support aplurality of cutting elements of the second grid B is suitably disposedbelow opening I4. Fig. 3 illustrates grid B in detail and its frame I5with laterally extending feet I6 at its corners. Feet I6 are adapted torest upon and be secured to longitudinal irons I -I secured to theinside of the side walls of body 9. lt is desirable to make grid Breadily removable. which may be accomplished in this instance by boltingthese feet to the longitudinal irons Il. f

It will be apparent that the slabs of ice formed by the cuttingoperation of cutting elements 5 will tend to continue moving rearwardlyupon ribs 4 and between track members 2 and 3 as the cake passes throughgrid A. Inasmuch as the cutting operation is performed by heat and themelting of the ice, the slabs will be somewhat slippery and tend toseparate to the extent of placing a rather excessive strain upon thecake and cause it to fracture or split before the slabbing operation iscompleted. The slope of table I will determine the rate of feeding acake against cutting elements 5. A reasonable slope for table I isdesirable in order to expedite the slabbing operation and reduce thewaste by melting. If the slabs fail to move uniformly over and upon thecutting elements of grid B, irregular pieces of ice will be cut. This isparticularly true when cylindrical cubes are to be produced. Moreover,melting causes the ice to be slippery and tends to further cause theupper slabs to slip forwardly ahead of the others and drop or tiltvertically downward behind these other slabs and thereby prevent theseother slabs from moving completely over and upon thev secondr cuttingygrid B. Toeliminate this undesirableV feature,.mears are provided tohold or keep the slabs of icel one upon the otherafter the slabbingVoperation is completed and to move the slabs-in this stacked relationupon the cutting .ele`- ments of grid B. This means preferably includesapair of track members and 2| that are disposed along theupperinsideedge of side plates 22 and 23 that, together with the rear wall 24, forman enclosure at the rear of hood of grid A. Track members 20 `and 2| areadapted to receive bars. 25 secured along the upper edges of sides 25and 21 of a slab holding and. conveyor member designated broadly as 28..`Conveyor 28 is preferably formed as a channel having a top 29, asillustrated in detail. inFig. 16, and a back plate 3U. Upstanding lugs3|V .pivotally receive the rear end of a rod 32,. which extends.forwardly through an opening 28' in, hood and has a handle 29. Duringthe slabbing operation performed by cutting elements 5 of grid A,.theoperator pulls handle 29 forwardly to move conveyor 28 forwardly toreceive and embrace the advancing cut end of the block of ice as itmoves throughl cutting elements 5 of grid B. As the slabbing. operationcontinues, conveyor 28 is allowed to move rearwardly and hold thisadvancing end of the ice cake nested therein so as to keep the slabs ofice one upon the other in stacked relation. As conveyor 28 is movedrearwardly to the position shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the operatorpreferably keeps handle 29 gripped so as to guidingly control the rear.-ward movement of conveyor 28 and the slabs of ice nested therein at oneend until the slabs of ice are disposed over and upon the cutting elelments of grid B. The slabs are then passed vertically in perfect stackedrelation downwardly through the cutting elements of this grid B.

First describing grid A in det-ail, it' will be noted that frame 6 isprovided with lateral feet i2 upon which table I rests, as previouslydescribed, and is adapted to be carried by an angle iron 34 securedcrosswise of body `9. As previously explained, slabbing grid A ispractically of the same construction in both forms in the machinedisclosed herein. Although it embodies the same fundamental principlesin both forms, specific difierences reside as shown in the fluidconnections leading to the cutting elements and the mechanical structureprovided to mount the same upon body 9. Figs. 21 and 22 illustrate oneform of construction of grid A. Frame 5 is suitably shaped to have aflange 35 at each side across which cutting elements 5 are suspended toprovide means for supporting the mountings of cutting elements Cuttingelements 5 preferably comprise tubes or pipes 36 substantially of smalldiameter through which hot water or steam (superheated if desired)ispassed. The thinwalled tubes will allow rapid heat transfer and aneilicient and rapid cutting action. They are somewhat exible butsuiiicently strong to resist undue bending. -The small diameter willeffect a very definite cut with a minimum loss of ma terial.

35 on opposite sides and having an enlarged head 39 at the outer end toform a shoulder at this end to conne a spring 43 between the same andilange 35. tinues beyond bushing 3l and is coiled at 42, the end of thetube being fixedly secured within a sleeve 43 communicating either' withthe inlet or outlet headers t4 and 45, respectively. These headers 44and 45 are carried on opposite sides Each tube is flexibly securedwithin a bushing 31, lying in a slot 38 provided in flanges The tube ofeach cutting element conc arcuate portions.

'along flangesr35. Inlet headers 44 join at their lower ends by acoupling 46 to a pipe 41 (Fig. l5), which` is controlled at theright-hand end of the machine by a hand valve 48. A second hand valve 49may be furnished to control the flow of the heating medium through apipe connecting at 5|I to a connection leading to the inlet header ofgrid B. Both valves 48 and 49 control the now from a common supply line53 to which a pressure gauge 54 may bev connected to indicate thepressure in the line. As.l will be later apparent, the operator at thefront of the machine will have valves 138 and 49 conveniently accessibleto control theow of the heating-medium, first through grid A and; thenthrough grid B. Outlet headers 45 of grid Ak connect as illustrated inFig. 15 .to a pipe 55 yat connection 55, which pipe 55 leads rearwardlyto connect with a vertical drain pipe 51.

Springs 45| compensate for any tendency of cutting elements 5- to flexor bow during the slabbing operation. Bushings 31 and Springs 4|),together with coils 42, form resilient mountings for the cuttingelements which prevent permanent distortionV and permit each tube toreadily return to its original position when ileXed during the cuttingoperation. Also, these resilient mountings vcompensate for any expansionthat may occur during heating.

Grid B, illustrated more specically in Figs. 3 to- 13, inclusive,comprises a plurality of units of cutting elements resiliently supportedupon frame |5at opposite sides substantially in the same manner ascutting elements 5. Each unit includes two ycutting elements 5| andV $2,also in the formy of thin-walled tubes of small diameter-through which aheating medium may flow, such as hot water or steam (superheated ifdesired). Tubes 6| and 62 oi each unit @il are adapted to formsubstantially circular cutting edges that cut the slabs of ice intocylindrical cubes, illustrated as 62 in Fig. 2. Tubes 5| may rst be bentinto a plurality of reversed Tubes 62 may then be bent in practicallythel same manner but with its ,arcuate portions opposing the arcuateportionso'f tube 6| to form substantially circular cutting areas i9whereby there will be provided a substantially continuous cutting edgefrom end to end ot unit GS, these cutting edges forming a plurality ofcircular cutting edges each adapted to produce cylindrical pieces of ice53, as shown inFig. 2, with minimum waste duringthe cutting operation.As noted in Fig. 5, the respective loops of` each pipe 6| and 62 lie ina common plane. The loops of tube 5| lie in a plane below the plane ofthe loops Vof tube 62.

Each circular cutting edge formed is` adapted to have an annular skirtor wall 65 depending therefromv and secured thereto in any suitable way,such as brazing, soldering, welding, or the like. Each skirt|55 may becircular, as shown in Fig. 6. The circular portions of tubes 5| and 52are positioned to lie against the top edges of these skirts and to besecured thereto. The wall thickness of each skirt 65 should be suiicientto have the proper mechanical strength to give rigidity to tubes 6| land62 asa unit so that they will maintain the circular cutting edges intowhich they are formed and to prevent any distortion that would distortthe circular cutting areas i9.

Tubes 6| and 52 overlap where they cross each other at 66 in an amountpreferably equal to that of the diameter of each tube therebyeliminating any enlargement of the cutting edge, .and hence, anyunnecessary waste through melting. Accordingly, I iind it desirable tomake the wall thickness of each skirt 85 less than the diameter of tubes6| and |32, this being illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. This arrangementpermits skirts 65 either to be cut away or reduced in thickness wherethey meet or of a thickness equal to onehalf of the diameter of thetubes so that the combined thickness of adjacent skirts at these pointsis not greater than the diameter of either tube 6| or 62. The inventionis not to be limited, however, to any specic wall thickness for skirts85, because it is obvious that these skirts may be constructed indifferent ways so that the thickness will not interfere with the cuttingaction of tubes 8| and 82. It is merely preferable to have the wallthickness less than the diameter of tubes 6| and 62, because it assuresminimum waste during the cutting operation, the inner surfaces of theseskirts being substantially continuous with the inside wall of eachcircle formed to guide the cylindrical pieces of ice, as they are beingmoved downwardly through grid B, and thereby to assure cylindricalpieces of ice of uniform diameter. It is found that little, if any, heatis conducted to skirts 65 to aiect any appreciable melting of the icepieces as they contact the inner walls of these skirts in their movementdownward through the same. In order to reenforce the ends of the tubesbeyond the end circular cutting area, U-shaped skirts 61 are secured tothe underside of tubesfl and 62.

Cutting elements 6| and 62 are resiliently mounted upon frame l5 of gridB in substantially the same manner as cutting elements 5 of grid A.Bushings 68 similar to bushings 31 are fixedly secured to cuttingelements 6| and 82 near their ends. Each bushing 68 is provided with anenlarged head 69 at the outer end to form a shoulder at this end toconne a spring 10 between the same and a vertical flange 1| of frame |5.The inner end of each bushing 69 is arranged to lie ,in a slot 12 formedin vertical flange 1|. Tubes 6| and B2 are then looped at 13 so that thetips may be flexibly secured within a sleeve 1f| that forms part of adetachable connection in the form of a nut 15 threaded upon one end of anipple 16. Nipple 16 has the other end threaded into either the inletpipe 11 or the outlet pipe 18, as the case may be. In other words,connection 14 may be the same for the end of the tube whether the endconnects with inlet 11 or outlet 18.

A modified form of cutting unit 60 is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Instead ofpipes 6| and 62 eX`- tending crosswise of grid B, as previouslyexplained in connection with Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, each cutting unitcomprises two pipes |30 and |3| bent into circular portions to providecircular cutting edges and their circular cutting areas 19, each pipegoing only to the center of the unit and being returned to the outerend. Hence, end |32 of pipe |30 and end |33 of pipe |3| may connect withthe inlet headers of gridA. End |34 of pipe |30 and end |35 of pipe ISImay then connect with the outlet header. Or, ends |32 and |35 of thesepipes |30 and |3| may connect to the inlet headers and ends |33 and |34may connect to the outlet headers. Either arrangement is desirable, thepurpose being to obtain uniform heating and. therefore, uniform cutting.Circular skirts |35 may likewise be provided for each circular cuttingarea so as to guide the ice pieces as they are being cut and prevent anyirregularity as the result of the ice not pasing perpendicularly over.each circular cutting area. Consequently, skirts |36 may assume anyshape or be constructed in any desirable way as long as it acts as adepending member capable of guiding the ice pieces being cut, and also,to a certain extent reenforce the cutting elements so as to hold them intheir circular formation.

To secure uniform distribution of the heating fluid through cuttingelements 8| and E2 of the various units 68, inlet header 11 is formedinto a plurality of pipe sections that connect together at their ends byconnections so that this inlet header pipe will extend about the foursides of grid B. The heating fluid is fed into the header sectionsreceiving the tips of the cutting tubes 5| and 62, the connectionprovided causing the heating iiuid to enter these closed header sectionsat both ends so that it will flow uniformly toward the center, therebyeliminating a cold end which would occur if the heating fluid entersthese header pipes from one end only. This is accomplished by sections82 receiving the tips of alternate cutting tubes 6| and 62 lying onopposite sides of frame |5 so that the outer ends of two sections ofpipe 83, connected together at 84, enter connections 80 directlyopposite the ends of pipes 82. A source of fluid supply under control ofvalve 49 connects with pipe sections 83 on each side of grid B by pipes50, 5| and 52 connecting at to a pipe 86 which branches in oppositedirection to connect with pipe sections 83 at 815, this being clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3. When the heated uid is fed to cutting pipes 8|and 62 in this mannen'it is found that there will be equal distributionof the same throughout cutting tubes 6| and 62, so that ice will moveuniformly through grid B. It will not' be possible for the cuttingelements 6| and 62 to cut one side of the ice cake faster than the otherbecause both sides of these cutting elements will be substantially ofthe same temperature.

To further illustrate the manner in which uniform distribution of theheating medium through the cutting elements of grid B may be maintained,it is mentioned that the heating medium may now through cutting elements6| in one direction and through cutting elements G2 in the oppositedirection. Thus, adjacent cutting elements have the heated uid iiowingin opposite directions. By specific reference to Fig. 3, it will benoted that if the right-hand end of each cutting tube 62 is connected tosection 82 of header 11, the right-hand end of cutting tube El of eachunit will be connected to outlet header 18. This relation is reversed atthe left-hand end where the end of cutting tube 62 will connect tooutlet header 18 and the endy of cutting tube 6| will connect to section82 of header 11. Header 18 may comprise a'plurality of sections of pipeconnected together in a manner similar to that of inlet header 11, therebeing pipes 81 connecting to drain pipe 51, heretofore referred to inconnection with the description of Fig. l5, and the outlet connection ofgrid A.

It will be noted from the description thus far given in connection withgrid B that this grid B is constructed las a unit capable of beingreadily mounted or removed from the machine by four connecting bolts atthe corner mounting lugs IG. The pipe connections for the fluid supplymay be easily and quickly made.

Moreover, the construction novelly provides the cutting elements of gridB in the form of sectional units, each consisting of a tube 6| and atube 02 that may bereadily removed either for repairs or replacement, ifnecessary, without disturbing the mountings of the other cuttingelements.

The cylindrical pieces of ice 63 that are cut will drop upon an inclinedplatform comprising a plurality of spaced rods 88 that deliver the outice through opening at one side of the machine, as illustrated inFig. 1. The water resulting from the melting during the cuttingoperation may drain into a pan 90, if so desired. The irregular piecesthat will be cut at the areas 9| may be easily separated from thecylindrical pieces 60. Rods 88 may be spaced far enough to permit theirregular pieces of ice to drop therethrough. The cylindrical pieceswill continue to roll forwardly and be discharged from the machine atopening 80. While there is some waste by reason of the irregular piecescut at the areas designated 9| in Fig. 3, the resulting loss is smallcompared to the cost of cylindrical pieces of ice heretofore made byfreezing trays and the advantages to be obtained from producingcylindrical pieces in sufficient quantities. I believe that I am thenrst to propose cutting ice into cylindrical pieces 'and shall claim thesame broadly.

The present invention provides a machine that may cut ice intocylindrical pieces substantially at the same rate of production as icecubes, the only added cost over the cutting of cubes being in the lossof the irregular pieces at areas 9| which is a relatively small loss inview of the great production that the present machine accomplishes.

A modified but v-ery compact form of machine embodying the invention isdisclosed in Figs. 18 to 24, inclusive. Aside from the feature ofcompactness, this machine is designed to produce less than the machineshown in Fig. 1. The use of a heated fluid medium, as well as equaldistribution of heat over the entire cutting area of each grid, hasincreased the production of the machine shown in Fig. 1 to such anextent that many users desire a smaller machine of considerably lesscapacity. In my prior patent `I pointed out that a machine of the typeshown vin Fig. l will cube a 200 pound cake of ice in three minutescompared to a period of fifteen minutes for a 50 pound cake of ice cubedby a machine having electrically heated resistance wires as the cuttingelements. Consequently, the machine shown in Figs. 18 to 24, inclusive,has been designed to meet the desire of compactness and a reducedproduction.

'This is accomplished by employing a slidably movable tray |00 andplacing grid B close to grid A. Tray |00 functions to cover grid B sothat the slabs of ice cut by grid A cannot drop down upon and movethrough grid B until tray |00 is manually removed by the operator.

As illustrated, tray |00 is a substantially flat sheet of metal formedwith tracks |0| and |02 and a pair of ribs |03 upon which the ice restsand moves forwardly toward grid A. Slot |04 is provided along the upperedge of the front wall of body |05. Slot |04 is so formed as to extendunder top plates |05, which plates are removably secured at |01 to theframe of body |05. The overlapping edges of top plates |06 thuscooperate with slot |04 to provide a track for the edges of tray |00.The front edge of tray |00 is formed into a downwardly turned flange |08that serves to cover slot |04 when tray |00 is moved into closedposition. This flange |08 also carries a handle |09 to permit tray |00to be readil7 gripped and moved forwardly or b-ackwardly in lation. GridB is constructed in substantially the same manner as heretoforedescribed.. A further description thereof is, therefore, unnecessaryexcept that it may be pointed out that its frame I5 is mounted upon sideframe members ll so that as the ice is completely slabbed by grid A andmoved to the rearrof this grid A, it will lie directly over the cuttingelements of grid B. These ice slabs Will not be able 'to move throughgrid B until tray |00 is moved outwardly, as illustrated by the dottedline position shown in Fig. 19. A housing ||5 may be provided to receivethe ice as it is slabbed by grid A. A rubber backing H0 is'moun'tedinside the rear wall of housing H5 so as to prevent the slabs of icefrom being chipped or broken by reason of striking against this rearwall of housing |'|5. Inlet headers 114 on opposite sides of grid A mayconnect to their source of fluid supply at connection ||l whichcontinues as pipe H8 to a valve H9. Outlet headers 45 on opposite sidesof grid A connect at their bottom to one ofthe side sections |20 of theoutlet header extending about frame I5 of grid B. This is illustrated inFigs. 20 and 21. Pipe |2|, disposed directly above pipe |20, is thecorresponding inlet header section v|2| on that side of grid B. Theheated fluid medium is supplied to the inlet header of this form ofmachine in the same manner-as described in connection with grid B shownin Fig.3.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that cylindricalpieces of ice of service size may be economically produced and vinpractically the samequantities and at the same rate as ice cubes. Theadvantages of cylindrical pieces of service size are numerous and thedemand therefor is rapidly increasing.' The Varrangemem; ;of the cuttingunits 00 permits a removably constructed grid to be provided, which,also, allows these cutting units to be individually removed for repairor replacement. Also, the fluid distribution uniquely provides for evendistribution of the heating fluid so that uniform cutting is obtainedand the ice cake is prevented from tending to travel faster through thegrid at one side. The construction of each cutting unit assuresretention of the circular cutting areas, as well as a minimum cuttingedge, so that these circular cutting areas may be arranged closertogether to reduce waste. In so far as the feature of cutting ice intocylindrical pieces is concerned, I do not wish to be 'limited Yto aheating medium of the fluid type because it is readily apparent thatcutting elements shaped like members 0| and 62 may be heated by otherforms `of heating means, although these other 4forms may not be Aasefcient and rapidin action. v

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain,thegist of my invention that others may. by applying current knowledge,readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service,without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said toconstitute the essential items o-f novelty involved, which items areintended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aplurality of pipes 'for cutting a cake of ice, connections for supplyinga heating medium to said pipes, said ,connections including inlet andoutlet headersl at the ends of said pipes, and means for arranging saidcutting pipes in pairs, the pipes of each pair being carried by saidmeans in looped relation to dene a plurality of substantially circularcutting edges adapted to cut the cake of ice into a plurality ofsubstantially cylindrical pieces.

2. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of cutting elements that form a plurality ofsubstantially circular cutting edges adapted to cut a cake of ice into aplurality of substantially cylindrical pieces, and means for feeding aheating medium to said cutting elements so that said heating mediumflows in opposite directions through opposite halves of each circularcutting edge.

3. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of pipes that form a plurality of substantiallycircular edges adapted to cut a cake of ice into a plurality ofsubstantially cylindrical pieces, means for supplying a heating mediumto said pipes, and depending skirt-like means attached to said pipes atone side.

4. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of cutting elements that form a plurality ofsubstantially circular cutting edges adapted to cut a cake of ice into aplurality of substantially cylindrical pieces, means for heating saidcutting elements, depending skirt-like means along said circular cuttingedges, said skirt-like means being attached to said cutting elements atone side, and resilient mounting means for the ends of said cuttingelements.

5. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of cutting elements defining one or more circularcutting areas adapted to cut a cake of ice into substantiallycylindrical pieces, means upon said frame for removably supporting saidcutting elements as units separable from each other, and a source ofheat supply for said units.

6. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of cutting elements having cutting edges defining oneor more circular cutting areas adapted to cut a cake of ice intosubstantially cylindrical pieces, means upon said frame for removablysupporting said cutting elements as units separable from each other, anda source of heat supply to heat said cutting elements, said sourceincluding means for causing the heating medium to iiow in oppositedirections along the cutting edges of each unit to provide for arelative uniform cutting thereby.

'7. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe and a plurality of cutting elements supported by said frame, saidcutting elements having cutting edges defining a plurality ofsubstantially circular cutting areas, there being open spaces ofirregular shape between the cutting edges of the respective circularcutting areas, means for heating said cutting elements, and means forplacing a block of ice upon said cutting elements whereby to cut theblock into a plurality of circular and irregular pieces corresponding tosaid circular and irregular cutting areas.

S. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aplurality of pipes for cutting a cake of ice into a plurality of smallerpieces, said pipes being bent in a formation providing a plurality ofsubstantially circular cutting areas, and connections for supplying aheating medium to said pipes, the formation of said pipes providing fora continuous ow of the heating medium from end to end through saidpipes.

9. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aplurality of pipes for cutting a cake of ice into a plurality of smallerpieces, means for mounting said pipes as units 0f at least two pipeseach, said pipes of each unit being formed into circular portions thatoppose each other to provide substantially circular cutting areas, andconnections for supplying a heating medium to said pipes to provide acontinuous flow of the heating medium through said pipes.

l0. In an ice cutting machine, the combination of a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of pipes for cutting a cake of ice into a pluralityof smaller pieces, means for heating said pipes, and means for mountingsaid pipes as units upon said frame, the pipes of each unit being formedinto circular portions that cross each other in opposing relation toprovide a plurality of substantially circular cutting areas, saidmounting means carrying said pipes of each unit where they cross eachother so that a continuous cutting edge is provided from end to end of awidth that is substantially no greater than the diameter of said pipes.

1l. In an ice cutting machine, the combination oi a grid comprising aframe, a plurality of pipes for cutting a cake of ice into a pluralityof smaller pieces, means for mounting said pipes in pairs crosswise ofsaid frame, the pipes of each pair being formed into circular portionsthat oppose each other to provide substantially circular cutting areas,inlet and outlet headers for a heated fluid medium along the sides ofsaid frame' supporting said pipes, and connections between said inletand outlet headers and said pipes, said connections including aconnection at opposite ends of each pipe of each pair with said inletand said outlet headers whereby the heated fluid medium will flow inopposite directions through the pipes of each pair.

12. In an ice cubing machine, the combination of a frame, a tablecarried by said frame and arranged for feeding a cake of ice forwardly,a grid interposed in the normal path of travel of such cake of ice andsubstantially perpendicular to such path, said grid comprising aplurality of cutting elements to divide such caire into a set ofsuperimposed slabs, a second grid of cutting elements arranged toreceive said slabs from said table to convert said slabs into aplurality of smaller cut pieces, and conveying means for first holdingsaid cake of iceupon said table until completely slabbed and thereafterto convey said slabs to said second grid.

13. In an ice cubing machine, the combination cf a frame, a tablecarried by said frame and arranged for feeding a cake of ice forwardly,a grid interposed in the normal path of travel of such cake of ice andsubstantially perpendicular to such path, said grid comprising aplurality of cutting elements to divide such cake into a set ofsuperimposed slabs, a second grid of cutting elements arranged toreceive said slabs from said table to convert said slabs into aplurality of smaller cut pieces, and means for holding said cake of iceupon said table until completely slabbed whereby to prevent said slabsfrom moving upon said second grid until released by said means, saidmeans comprising a retaining member substantially shaped to said cake ofice and slidably carried upon said frame.

14. In an ice cubing machine, the combination or' a frame, a tablecarried by said frame and arranged for feeding a cake f ice forwardly, agrid interposed in the normal path of travel of such cake oi ice andsubstantially perpendicular to such path, said grid comprising aplurality of cutting elements to divide such cake into a set ofsuperimposed slabs, a second grid of cutting elements arranged toreceive said slabs from said table to convert said slabs into aplurality of smaller cut pieces, and means for holding said cake of iceupon said table until completely slabbed whereby to prevent said slabsfrom moving upon said second grid until released by said means, saidmeans comprising a relatively channel-shaped member embracing threesides of said cake of ice as it is being slabbed, a track upon saidframe along which said member is guided, and a manually releasabledevice for holding said member in a position to receive said slabsbefore they are moved to said second grid.

15. In an ice cubing machine, the combination of a frame, a tablecarried by said frame and arranged for feeding a cake of ice forwardly,a grid interposed in the normal path of travel of such cake of ice, saidgrid comprising a plurality of cutting elements to divide such cake intoa set of superimposed slabs, a second grid of cutting elements arrangedto receive said slabs from said table to convert said slabs into aplurality ci smaller cut pieces, and means associated with said tablefor preventing the said slabs from engaging said second grid of cuttingelements, said mans being movable along said table to allow said slabsto engage said second grid of cutting elements.

16. In an ice cubing machine, the combination of a frame, a tablecarried by said frame and arranged for feeding a cake of ice forwardly,a grid interposed in the normal path oi travel of such cake of ice, saidgrid comprising a plurality of cutting elements to divide such cake intoa set of superimposed slabs, and a second grid of cutting elementsarranged to receive said slabs from said table to convert said slabsinto a plurality of smaller cut pieces, said table including a removableplate adapted to be Withdrawn from under said slabs whereby to allowsaid slabs to engage said second grid of cutting elements.

WILLIAM CARL PFEIL.

CERTIFICATE OF C ORRECTI ON Patent No. 2,516,282. April 15, 19M.

wiLLIAM CARL PFEIL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l,first column, line 19, for "bene" read --been; page 5, second column,line )4.2, for "as 62" read as 65; page ll, 'second oolumn, line l, for"pasing" read --passing; line M7, for "now" read -'`lovv; and that thesaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that thesame may conform to the record lof 4the oase in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 22nd day of June, A. D. 19M.

Henry Van Arsdale, v(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

